


the "a" stands for...

by EastOfEll, lhknox



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, oh we did THAT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 02:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EastOfEll/pseuds/EastOfEll, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhknox/pseuds/lhknox
Summary: something's wrong with alex. maggie and kara work together to figure it out.





	the "a" stands for...

**Author's Note:**

> so sho and i (ell is typing this) came up with this around a month ago but it took until now to complete and publish it... anyway! we hope you enjoy what i/ell likes to call "shonanigans". ha ha ha. get it... shonanigans...
> 
> contact us at murdershegoat (sho) or sapphics (ell) if you have any questions!

“A Plutonian?” Maggie asks, her and Alex strolling into the DEO building, wriggling their umbrellas and wiping their boots on the mat at the entrance as a particularly nasty rainstorm pours on outside. “There are aliens on Pluto?”

 

“I was surprised, too,” Alex says. “J’onn had to explain, but even he didn’t know much about them, they’re so rare. All we really know is that they’re Mindswappers; they swap minds with people by coming into contact with them. It’s usually hard to come into contact with their original body, which they keep hidden, because it's what gives them the chemistry to mind swap in the first place. We got really lucky.”

 

“Why does he need us to go into the interrogation room with him?”

 

“The alien in there is the one that’s been secreting their toxins into the ocean, which is what you’ve been trying to figure out, right?”

 

“Yeesh. Yeah, whatever that toxin is, it’s similar to an oil spill.”

 

Alex holds the door open for Maggie, before following her in. J’onn already sits at the table, and across from him is the Plutonian, hands shackled. It looks human enough, but there’s something _off_ about it, like looking at a reflection of a person rather than the person themselves. Androgynous, with brown hair and eyes and pale, almost translucent, skin, it looks up at them, its jaw looking too tight for the skin covering its mouth, like a preteen getting used to their brand new braces.

 

Maggie stands behind J’onn, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

 

She smirks. “Gotcha.”

 

The Plutonian doesn’t respond. J’onn opens the casefile in front of him.

 

“We’ve got you, and there’s no way you’re getting out of here. So either you tell us what you know, or I make sure they give you the bad cell.”

 

The alien’s jaw clenches, almost imperceptibly, but it doesn’t speak.

 

“Listen, buddy, this could get a whole lot worse for you. Tell us what we want to know.”

 

Again, they’re met with silence, and Maggie has an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach; she doesn’t like the way the Plutonian’s eyes rake over all of them, one at a time, over and over.

 

Almost as though it’s sizing them up.

 

The silence that settles in the room is tense and unnerving. There’s something about this perp that makes it feel as though it’s in control, as though at any moment it’ll lash out at them.

 

Maggie doesn’t like the feeling one bit.

 

And neither does Alex.

 

She leans down on the table, too close to the alien for Maggie’s comfort.

 

“Well, then, I guess we’re organising the special treatment for you.”

 

Maggie feels fear closing in around her when the lights flicker off, even though it’s only for a handful of seconds before the generator kicks in.

 

“What was that?” J’onn asks, his jaw set and his voice sharp.

 

Maggie quickly checks her phone. “The worst of the storm is right outside, sir.”

 

J’onn sighs, relaxing slightly. “If it’s not seventy and sunny outside, the power here acts up. Sometimes I wonder if we’re really a government organization.”

 

“Technically,” Alex comments, “we aren’t. We don’t exist.”

 

“Hey!” the Plutonian says, it’s voice harsh and raspy. “That’s not Alex, that’s the Plutonian!”

 

“It says here in the report,” J’onn says, flipping through papers, “that you told the agents who arrest you that same thing exactly twenty three times before you decided silence was your best option.”

 

“Even so...” Maggie glances at Alex. “What’s my favorite food?”

 

Alex looks at Maggie, almost offended. “Tiramasu.”

 

“Favorite Die Hard?”

 

Alex rolls her eyes. “Trick question. You’re a Lethal Weapon fan.”

 

“Damn right I am,” Maggie says with a nod. “I think we’re done with this interrogation.”

 

Maggie and Alex go home, arm in arm, and the alien goes behind bars, protesting the whole way to its cell.

  


///

  


At first, Kara just thinks Alex had a rough night when she lets Kara choose the movie.

 

“I’m going to choose Frozen, and you can’t stop me,” she warns.

 

“I don’t care,” Alex says. “Anything that'll put me to sleep.”

 

Kara raises her eyebrows, because she knows that her sister pretends to be tough, but knows more of the words than she does, and turns on the movie. She notices, though, that Alex doesn't seem to be concentrating on the movie, her brown eyes almost glazed over.

 

“You good?” she asks. “Thinking about work or something?”

 

Alex jolts out of her state and looks at her sister. “Oh, yeah, sorry.”

 

“Thinking about _Maggie_?” Kara shoves Alex playfully.

 

“I’m not thinking about Maggie! I saw her, what, four hours ago?”

 

“I dunno… Olaf singing in a cup of hot chocolate? That could totally bring on some pretty sexy thoughts. I can't blame you.”

 

Alex sighs. “Hey, look, I’m gonna go to bed. I’m exhausted. We interrogated some Plutonian today… it really took it out of me. You okay with that?”

 

“Yeah! Do what you need to do. I'm gonna finish the rest of the movie, though.”

 

“Then after that,” Alex points a teasing finger at Kara, “you better go home.” She kisses Kara on the cheek before heading off into the bedroom.

 

When she knows the coast is clear, Kara dials Maggie.

 

Maggie’s voice crackles through the speakers. “Kara? Why are you calling? Is Alex okay?”

 

“Alex is fine,” Kara says, “but she seems… off. Like, you know when you're drinking lemonade and it's tastes weird, and then you realize it's because you used salt instead of sugar?”

 

“Can't say that I’ve ever done that, but go on.”

 

“That's just how Alex is right now,” Kara continues. “Like, she went to go to bed instead of finishing our movie night.”

 

“Is that weird? Maybe she was tired.”

 

“Usually, Alex just toughs it out and falls asleep on the couch, and then I carry her to the nearest bed like a cute, thirty year old baby. It's because she doesn't want me thinking she doesn't care, or something. I just find it odd. I was just trying to call and see if anything had happened on your end.”

 

“Well,” Maggie sighs, “if anything else weird happens, I’ll say something.”

 

“I know I seem super over protective right now, it’s just--”

 

“No, no. I get it. Don’t worry.”

 

Kara sighs in relief. “Thank you, Maggie. Have a good night.”

 

“Night, Kara.”

  


///

  


Alex walks into work the next day only to bump into Winn.

 

“Oh, sorry!” Winn apologizes. “I didn't mean―”

 

“It's fine.” Alex shrugs it off, and then walks wherever she was going in the first place.

 

Kara, who had been watching from afar, walks as quickly as she can without powers to her best friend. “She seems off, right?”

 

“Usually Alex would give me some sort of death threat,” Winn says. “Not that I don't believe them, _anymore_ , because I learned that under that brick wall is a soft, squishy little ball of play-doh. Honestly, Kara, have you heard of what ‘tsundere’ is?―”

 

“Get to the point.”

 

“Yeah, she's kinda off. In a weird, happy sort of way.”

 

“Well, the last time Alex was acting like that…” Kara, eyes narrowed, lips pursed, grabs her phone. “I’m calling Maggie.”

 

Maggie picks up on the second ring. “Yes?”

 

“Are you and Alex in some sort of sex cult?”

 

There's some wet choking on the other end of the line, whatever Maggie had been drinking spat out. Kara feels herself blushing, already regretting this conversation.

 

“Kara, what the sweltering hell brought you to this conclusion?” Her voice is croaky, as if climbing out of a tight throat, and her blush can be heard over the phone. “Spit it out. My coworkers are staring at me.”

 

Winn is staring at Kara like she's grown three heads while Kara tries (and fails) to gather her thoughts into a coherent explanation. “Well― Alex came into work really happy― didn't even bully Winn― she came into work happy after you spent the night in her apartment for the first time― I was just wondering―”

 

“I can assure you that's not the case. What's wrong, Kara?”

 

“Winn bumped into Alex and Alex didn't even threaten him. Not one mean word!”

 

There's a ‘hmmm’ over the phone. “That’s strange, especially considering Winn’s easy to bully.”

 

“Hey!” Winn gives a pout. “There's nothing wrong with being sensitive.”

 

“Maggie, you're on speakerphone.”

 

“Oh, I know.” Kara knows Maggie is probably grinning. “Look, we have a game night tonight, right? Let's see if anything happens. But you're onto something, Kara. Alex is hiding something from us. I gotta go, okay?”

 

“Okay. Bye, Maggie!”

 

There's a pause before Winn whines, “Why do they like making fun of me to show they care? It's not like anyone thinks they're doing it to actually be mean.”

 

“Aww, Winn…” Kara pinches his cheek playfully. “You're kinda like… a puppy, and Alex and Maggie always fake the throw. You fall for it every time.”

  


///

  


Game night is intense, to say the least.

 

They’re tied for the win, Kara and Lena versus Alex and Maggie, and this final round of Pictionary decides the game.

 

“Ready,” Winn says, staring intensely at the boards, “set. Go.”

 

Kara and Alex start scribbling away on their respective whiteboards, while Maggie and Lena yell out their guesses. Alex draws a stick figure in the clouds, groaning when Maggie guesses ‘a weird blimp’. She catches a glimpse of Kara’s sketch of the House of El symbol at the same time Lena puts it together.

 

“SUPERMAN!” they yell at the same time, Maggie jumping to her feet in excitement.

 

“We won!” Lena half-screams.

 

“You did not! I said it first!” Maggie argues, “Winn please tell Ms Luthor that I said it first and therefore we win?”

 

“There’s no way you said it first!” Kara says, snaking an arm around her girlfriend’s waist. “Lena got it fair and square.”

 

“Exactly!” Lena says with a smile. “Winn, please inform the good detective of her loss.”

 

“C’mon, this is bull! Alex, defend our win!” Maggie looks at Alex, adrenaline showing in her dark brown eyes.

 

They all turn and face Alex expectantly, ready for the Alex Danvers Competitiveness to shine.

 

Maggie frowns when she catches sight of Alex, staring intently at her watch.

 

“You okay, babe?” she asks.

 

Alex nods, her eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah. I’ll be right back.” Alex disappears into the bathroom, leaving her friends in silence.

 

“See?” Kara whispers when the door shuts behind Alex. “Something’s wrong with her. She’d usually have Winn in a headlock right now.”

 

“Hey,” Winn says, frowning.

 

“Maybe she’s just having an off night,” Maggie says, even though her gut is screaming that something is definitely wrong.

 

The bathroom door opens and Alex makes a beeline for the front door.

 

“Where are you going?” Kara asks, racing to the door and blocking her path.

 

“I just remembered I forgot some files at work that I really need. I’ll be back soon.”

 

Kara stares past Alex, locking eyes with Maggie.

 

Maggie can’t deny it any longer, Alex is acting _weird._ Almost like--

 

Almost like she’s someone else.

 

As soon as the thought flashes through her mind, everything falls into place.

 

Maggie knows what’s wrong.

 

She just needs proof.

 

“Okay, we’ll see you when you get back,” Maggie says. “Bye, Ally.”

 

“Bye, Mags,” Alex says, and then she’s gone and Kara shuts the door softly behind her.

 

“How could you just let her go??”

 

Maggie takes a deep breath and turns to Kara.

 

“Because that’s not Alex Danvers.”

  


///

  


“So you're telling me… Alex is an alien.”

 

Maggie rolls her eyes. “I’m saying it’s Alex’s body with an alien’s mind.”

 

“Cool,” whispers Winn, followed quickly by an “ow” as Kara slaps his arm.

 

“But how could you possibly know?” Lena asks. “She looks fine.”

 

“Alex is kind of picky with nicknames,” Maggie explains. “I'll admit, it's fun to call her ‘sweet cheeks’ and watch her face sour, but she called herself Ally until she reached the sixth grade, because that's what her parents had shortened her name to. She worked really hard changing it to Alex, she says, and she doesn't like the reminder. It explains why she's been ‘off’... it explains… hell, the Plutonian kept saying it was Alex, and we didn't believe it…”

 

“Alex does hate being called Ally,” Kara adds. “I saw what went down a few times at family reunions when people forgot. She's always been creative at insults.”

 

“That split second,” Maggie continues, “and the alien had just enough time to touch Alex and become her, but not enough to know who she really is. And Kara…” Maggie pauses, looking at the blonde. “You were able to figure it out.”

 

“Hey.” Kara puts her hand on Maggie’s in comfort. “Don't sound like that. Sure, I realized something was off about Alex, but you're the one that pieced it together. Give yourself credit, okay?”

 

“So what do we do?” Winn asks.

 

Kara sighs. “We need to talk to J’onn.”

  


///

  


After explaining the situation to J’onn, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “We need to go down to the prisoner cells where the Plutonian is and… see if it's possibly Alex. Kara, Maggie, with me.”

 

When they get there, the Plutonian is slouching against the bench in its cell, arms crossed, pouting. Maggie can almost see Alex in its posture, but shakes her head, wondering if there's a chance she could just be projecting.

 

Before J’onn can give a proper greeting, Kara jogs up to the bars. “Alex?”

 

The Plutonian sits up. “Did you realize I was right all along, and that I’m Alex?”

 

“We did,” Maggie says. “Alex, I’m so sorry.”

 

“It's fine, honestly. I'd have done the same.” There's no malice in the voice.

 

“The transfer back shouldn't be hard, right?” Kara, still in civilian clothes, adjusts her glasses. “Just touch the fake Alex, and, boom.”

 

“The process has to be voluntary,” J’onn says.

 

“But this is the body with the chemistry to make the transition, isn't it?” Alex motions to the alien body she currently resides in.

 

“Not quite,” J’onn says. “That body is the body able to make the transition happen, yes, but the mind telepathy the Plutonian holds must be what fuels it, so to speak, or else anyone the Plutonian touches would switch with it, and they would gain access to an incredible amount of memories. I thought the rumors about telepathy were just that: a rumor… apparently not. It explains why the alien only knew enough about Alex to skim the surface. Regardless, they have to _want_ to go back into their body.”

 

“But how?” Maggie asks. “I don't think asking nicely is going to do the trick.”

 

“Then we don’t ask, we find a way to trick it.” Alex stands up, making her wait to the end of the cell. “I’m sick of being stuck in an alien from a planet that isn't technically a planet anymore.”

 

“Alex,” Kara warns. “Don't start.”

 

“It's not a full planet, Kara! There are too many things similar in mass orbiting it for it to be considered anything other than a dwarf planet. It's cold, hard facts.”

 

“You have a cold, hard heart. You're hurting Pluto’s feelings.”

 

“We've been arguing about this for ten years, and you still won't see reason. This discussion is over.”

 

Maggie’s jaw slacks as she looks over to J’onn and mouths ‘ten years?’, as J’onn just shrugs.

 

The Danvers sisters, everyone.

 

But their petulance gives Maggie an idea.

 

“I don’t think we need to trick it,” Maggie says.

 

“But how else are we supposed to convince it to switch back??”

 

“We make it an offer it can’t refuse.”

 

///

  


It’s surprisingly easy, in the end.

 

They promise the Plutonian to change the official NASA database and return Pluto to its former glory as a planet.

 

(Maggie swears Kara cries as the change is made official.)

 

And then, Alex is Alex again and the Plutonian delinquent is locked away in isolation.

 

“I told you it swapped minds with me,” Alex grumbles when she’s finally back in her body. She’s sitting in one of the DEO office chairs, a blanket wrapped around her, because _A Plutonian’s body is fucking cold, you assholes._

 

Maggie explains. “The alien has a little bit of mind telepathy. Not as strong as J’onn’s, but enough that when it touched you for the split second in the dark, it got a glimpse of your life. It wasn't enough, though, and we could tell something was up.”

 

“We’re so sorry,” Kara says. “We didn’t realize Plutonians have mild telepathic powers until later. J’onn had only thought it was a rumor… Does it count if we realized you seemed kind of off? I thought you were sick at first, or hiding a naughty secret.”

 

Maggie huffs. “If you _ever_ ask me a question like that again, I _will_ tell Noonan’s you’re on a strict no carb diet.”

 

Alex raises her eyebrows at that comment and Kara’s following gasp, but decides it best not to ask. “What made you realize something was up?”

 

“I realized something during Sister’s Night. You actually admitted to being tired and didn't just fall asleep on the couch.” Kara looks over to Maggie. “And then at Game Night you just up and left instead of battling for that last point.”

 

Maggie sighs. “I realized the Plutonian had swapped minds with you when it let me call you Ally.”

 

“What?” Alex snorts as Kara nods her head seriously.

 

“One time Winn tried to call you Ally as a joke and you punched him in the stomach,” Maggie says.

 

“And remember when Grandma June called you Ally at Passover seder two years ago and you threatened to convert to Christianity if she ever used it again?” Kara adds.

 

“Ah, yeah,” Alex says, wistfully. “Don’t fucking calling me Ally.”

 

“Exactly. It was a test, and the alien failed.”

 

“Well, I’m glad you guys figured out something was wrong because of the little things I do,” Alex says.

 

Maggie threads her fingers through Alex’s short, auburn hair, and Alex leans into it. “Of course, babe… You like ‘babe’, right?”

 

“Yeah, I like that a lot.”

 

Kara raises an eyebrow. “The fingers through your hair or the ‘babe’?”

 

Alex hums happily in response. J’onn enters the room with a smile on his face.

 

“Good to have the real you back, Alex. You’re free to go home as soon as you're ready.”

 

Alex stands shakily and Maggie puts her arm around her, supporting her weight.

 

“Let’s get you home,” she says.

 

“Maggie?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“If you ever call me Ally again - even if my mind isn't in my body - I’ll murder you.”

 

Maggie laughs. “Love you, too, babe.”


End file.
